Cultivating Healthy Relationships

Love is in the air! With Valentine's Day quickly approaching, it is time for February to get it's boost of love and romance. A part of our goal at Ren Martial Arts is to spread love and promote positivity and good mental health. The relationships we have in our lives help to shape who we are and significantly impact our well-being. For many of us, much like myself, we receive very little education on what healthy relationships are, why they are important, and how to create them. We learn from the people in our lives that we see having relationships with other people and from those who we form relationships with at a young age. Even while researching for this post I was challenged to find credible and easily accessible sources that provided useful information on this subject. It seems like a matter of trial and error, and can feel like we have little to no influence on the quality of the relationships we are in. Hopefully this post will provide some insight and inspiration for those interested in learning more about healthy relationships!

Relationships and human connection play an important role in our mental health. Social connection with others can reduce feelings of anxiety and depression, improve emotional regulation, increase self-esteem and increase empathy. The way we create these connections can look different for everyone and it may take some time to understand what works best for you. Some ways to get started could include joining an organization or group activity, eating lunch in a shared space, reaching out to an old friend, or doing a random act of kindness. Recognizing that you're not alone and that we all experience the same emotions at some point or another may make it easier for you to start finding connections with people in your life. It is a part of good mental health and something we all need in our lives.

Most of us already have some form of relationships in our lives, whether it is a romantic partner, relationships with family members, or with your friends. You likely don't spend much time thinking about how healthy the relationships in your life are unless you find yourself in a negative situation. Even at that point many of us don't know how to navigate an unhealthy relationship or how to avoid letting things go that way in the first place. Healthy relationships increase our happiness and make us feel more satisfied with our lives. They give you confidence and support you to try new things and learn more about yourself. A healthy relationship is based on trust, respect, open communication, equality, shared interests, understanding, honesty, and care. Of course all of those things sound good, but how do we know if they exist in our own relationships and how do we promote them if they do not?

Improving your communication with the people in your life is a good place to start to create healthy relationships. Be clear when you are communicating and really try to understand what the other person is saying to you. You can promote more open communication in your relationships by setting aside time to speak to each other without any interruptions. Try and put yourself in the other person's position. Stay calm during conversations and avoid attacking the other person. Listen and make sure they know you are listening to them. Establishing strong communication with the people who matter in your life will help promote healthy relationships and better support your mental health. Other ways to promote healthy relationships might include saying sorry if you are wrong or being affectionate and showing your appreciation of the people in your life. Work on feeling good about yourself and it will reflect in the relationships you have. Try to develop shared interests and plan for the future with the people who matter to you. By taking some time to be mindful of the relationships in your life and actively trying to create healthy relationships you will improve your own well-being and develop more meaningful connections with the people close to you.

Remember that every relationship is unique, when it comes to the romantic relationships in your life be clear about what you want the relationship to be and where you want it to go. Understand that not all the relationships in your life will be the same and that's okay. Make it a priority to discuss what your goals for your relationship are with your partner regularly, not just at the beginning of the relationship. Share with your partner that you want to make having a strong and healthy relationship a priority and discuss what you think would be best for both of you. Then try it out! It may take time to figure out what works best for you and your partner. Be willing to be flexible and creative and you will find what is best. Enjoy this Valentine's Day with someone important to you, or just make it a goal to make having healthy relationships a priority in your life!